Cebu logs first Covid-19 case; PH's total now at 202

CEBU (Updated) -- The Department of Health (DOH) announced 15 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) Wednesday, March 18, bringing the total to 202. One of the positive cases is in Cebu.

Patient (PH) 188, a 65-year-old male, has been confined at the Chong Hua Hospital Mandaue in Mandaue City, Cebu, the DOH's Covid-19 tracker website showed.

The Mandaue City Public Information Office also confirmed this, saying in a Facebook post that Mandaue City now has one confirmed case, 37 patients under investigation (PUI) and 64 persons under monitoring (PUM).

The DOH Covid-19 tracker also showed that three of the new cases (PH190, PH192 and PH193) have been admitted at the San Juan Medical Center, while one (PH189) is at the Mandaluyong City Medical Center.

The DOH has yet to release the profiles of the new confirmed cases.

The health department also announced Wednesday, March 18, three new deaths, bringing the death toll to 17.

The mortalities include PH201, a 58-year-old Filipino male from Lanao del Sur who had a history of travel from Malaysia and died at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center; PH57, a 65-year-old Filipino male from Pasig City with travel history from London and died at The Medical City-Ortigas; and PH160, an 86-year-old Filipino female from San Juan City with no travel history or exposure to a known Covid-19 cases and who expired at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

DOH said the three all died on March 17.

On Tuesday, March 17, the DOH also reported the death of two positive cases: PH126 and PH129.

Despite the deaths and new positive cases, the DOH announced three new recoveries Wednesday. This brought the total number of patients who recovered from Covid-19 to seven.

Those who recently recovered are PH15, PH26 and PH13.

DOH again advised the public to practice proper hygiene and observe cough etiquette and social distancing to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that causes Covid-19. (LMY)